davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15
ANTlETAM, OR sHARpsBuRc.

During the night of Sept. IA, after the
fights on South Mountain, the Confederate
commands of Longstreet and ID. II. Hill
withdrew to Sharpsburg, thus edging away
from McClellan's army and nearer the
Pntn,~eo
1t will be seen from the fIiap that the An
tietam is a creek which flows nearly due south
through Maryland to the westward of and
nearly parallel with the South Mountain.
Across Antietam creek, and on its west side,
is the village of Sharpsburg. Along Antie-
tam creek and in and around Sharpsburg the
bloody battle of the 18th of September was
fought between the forces of Lee and Nc.
Clellan.
The intervening days had given Lees army
time to collect itself. Harper's Ferry sur
rendered to Jackson on the 18th, and imme-
diately he and Gen. Walker, with all their
forces, set out by swift marches to Join Lee
and relieve him of his peril. They crossed
the Potomac to the Maryland side at the
Shepherdstown ford, from which road led
directly to Sharpsburg.
The Confederates name the battle of the
17th for the town, Sharpsburg; the Federals
name it Antietam, after the creek. Lees
fighting force at Sharpsburg was only 37,0oo
He had entered Maryland Sept with moi
quite $1,000 infantry troops He had lost
nearly 10000 men by exhaustion and strag
Cling in those thirteen days. In the battle OF
Antietam Mcclellan had S7,164 men, 60 0cl
being engaged in the fight.
Concerning this fight Gen. Longstreei
speaks his mind from the Confederate
standpoint in his usual free manner
Speaking of the night of the 18th, after Lee
heard of the fall of Harper's Ferry, he says
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

Antietam in In g
vicinity Of Sharpsburg, and over these Nc
Clellan's fighting men passed. Hooker
began the battle gallantly at dawn on
the 18th, attacking Jackson's command
on the Confederate left. Gen. Lawton
received the first shock. Hooker's men
carried all before them at first, throw
ing the Confederate left into confusion.
The FGSerals rent the air with cheers. Hook
er sent to Mansfield for support, and pressed
OH. Gen. Mansfield responded Immediately,
and was bringing his corps into action when
he fell, mortally wounded At o o'clock
was won. 1t was his understanding that
the action was to be general, that
while he attacked the Confederate left, the
Federal center and left were to be moved
against the enemy at the same moment. lie
had driven back Lawton's division. As far
as was visible Confederates were retreating
As he was preparing his batteries to sweep
their turned ranks shot struck him and
he was severely wounded. They carried him
off the field to McClellan's headquarters, and
Sumner took command. But the Confeder-
ates had not been defeated. No general ac-
ton was being fought. Hill, Hood and Stu
art hastened to the relief of jackson, and in
puA II iooU'u u.ociiy Aioohcf HOW ue-
prived Of their commander. But Summers
corps took its place quickly, and tie Federal
corps of French and Richardson moved ON
the Confederates. Gen. Richardson met lis
death here. Lee at once ordered up every
man that could be drawn from the Confeder-
ate right, leaving only 2,400 men there.
These were commanded by d. r. Jones. OPP
posed to them was the Federal left, compris-
ing 1900 men, under Burnside. Ills conf
nand had been divided for some unknown
reason, and he had been exchanged from the
extreme right, where he belonged, TO the
left His Ninth corps, under Cox, was the ex-
treme left; his First corps, under Hooker,
was the extreme right. He himself remained
with the left.
Sedgwick's division of Summers corps re-
placed Hooker on the extreme Federal right.
The fight went on hotly. McLaws and
Walker, recently from Harper's Ferry, went
into action on the Confederate left. Sedg-
wick was wounded, but continued in cann
mand. Presently he was wounded again and
was forced to leave the field. Gen. o. o.
Howard took command in his place The
Confederate general, r. II. Anderson, was
also wounded in that fierce fight aud his
place was taken by Gen. Roger A. Pryor.
At noon that September II Gen. Franklin
had come up from Champions Valley with
$4,000 men. They were thrown into action
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

Gen. Julius White was at Martinsburg,
Va, a Federal outpost some miles away,
with $500 men.
Military critics from the safe distance both
OF time and space say now that when news
came that Lees whole army was in that
vicinity, though on the Maryland side of the
Potomac, the garrison at Harper's Ferry
should have either been strengthened or the
place evacuated and the troops sent to Join
the main Union army. Neither was done, al
though Mcclellan had recommended that the
Ferry should be abandoned, es it was Of no
great strategic Importance. But Gen. Hal
leck thought Harper's Ferry must be held at
all hazard, just as Lee thought it must be
taken at all hazard.
Lees special order No. 1917 informed
Mcclellan that jackson was to cross the Po-
tomac and take possession OF Martinsburg,
Va, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at
that point. McLaws was to take possession
of Maryland heights, then of the town of
Harper's Ferry, opposite, Walker was to
cross the Potomac below Harper's Ferry,
move up the Virginia side and possess him.
self of Loudon heights and cooperate with
McLaws. By referring to the map the reader
will see where the points named are situated.
The story may be told briefly Harper's
Ferry was surrendered to the Confederates
Sept. Is, with all the garrison, except the
cavalry, which had escaped. There was
sharp fighting. Col Miles received wound
from which he died next day. At the ap-
proach Of jackson Gen. White, with his little
command, had left Martinsburg and Joined
Miles at Harper's Ferry. Miles being
wounded, it was White who surrendered the
garrison by advice of council of war. There
have been few points of controversy during
our civil war more hotly discussed than
whether Miles should have surrendered Har-
per's Ferry, The surrounding heights COM
manded the place completely, and these
speedily fell into possession of the Confeder-
ates, because Miles had not men enough to
man them.
After Col. Miles dea b his action in Weld
ing up Harper's Ferry was censured by the
government. Gen. Julius White, in a recent
number of The Century, asks those who still
find fault with the surrender to explain how
garrison of raw recruits, under fire for the
first time, could hold three square miles
against veteran soldiers three times their
number, and occupying positions which COM
manded the whole field.
Col. Miles had sent urgent messages both
IN Hoilanl- opd MoClallop fbot bo oc,,II ,,o+
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

GEN. ROGER A. PRYOR Not till o'clock
p. m. was the Ninth corps ready for action,
By that time the fighting on the Federal left
was over.
There was, however, more or less fighting
till dark. The battle of Antietam was fought
in woods and corn fields. The bioodiest por-
tion was in the vicinity Of peaceful small
white Bunker church, q little north Of
Sharpsburg. Antietam, too, like Waterloo,
had its terrible sunken road This was road
to the southeast OF bunker church and be-
tween that and Anttetam creek. When the
fighting ceased that bloody day the sunken
road was piled even full with the bodies of
Confederate dead.
Antietam was drawn battle. The Fed
cral forces were not pushed into action vigor-
ously.
Mcclellan had 7,164 men in the battle
Lee had about 10000 The Union loss was
II, ,426, the Confederate loss 10000. In the
whole campaign In Maryland the Federal
army lost l4,200, the Confederates 1880.
There was fearful loss of officers on both
Sides at Antietam- There was no fighting on
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

COL. hIxoN s. MILES. conduct at Har.
per's Ferry. He had been unwilling to sur
render ID till council Of war decided that 1t
must be done.
Henry Kyd Douglas, Cou;sdera officer
who witnessed the bartender ,f Gen. Julius
White to Stonewall jackson, speaks of the
contrast in appearance between the two. He
says:
"Gen. White, riding a handsome black
horse was carefully dressed, and had on un-
tarnished gloves boots and sword. On the
other hand, Gen. Jackson was the dingiest,
worst dressed and worst mounted general that
a warrior who cared for good looks and style
would wish 10 surrender to.h
Gen. Lees idea in possessing himself oi
Harper's Ferry was to gain a position COM
manding both north and south. From
Harper's Ferry he could move north into
Pennsylvania. This would draw McCiellans
army away from the capital, leaving it de-
Tended By only a small force. Lees army
could then march swiftly on Washington in
the rear, and perhaps even take the capital
city of the Union
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

await reinforce GEN JOSEPH HOOKER.
ments. At o'clock they came pouring in,
Willcox's and Sturgis' divisions and Harlan's,
Fairchild's and Gibbons brigades.
Gen Hooker's division was sent to sweep
around towards the north and do up the fight
ing at Turner's Gap.
Fighting Joe Hooker distinguished him.
self at South Mountain as elsewhere He
was already major general Of volunteers,
and commanded the First division Of the
First army corps Burnsides). His name be-
longs to the whole country, but he was ma
tive of Massachusetts,, born in 1915. He was
graduated at West Point in 1887, and entered
the artillery. He served in the Mexican war,
but resigned ut length from the army and
settled in California. He entered the United
States volunteer service from that state in
1861, and was commissioned brigadier gen.
eral. He was severely wounded at the battle
of Antietam or Sharpsburg, which imme-
diately followed that OF South Mountain.
Early in 1868 the command Of the whole
Army of the Potonac was given to him. He
held it about six months, then was transferred
to the west and served at Chattanooga and
through the Atlanta campaign. Gen.
Hooker died on Long Island in 1879.
Meantime, while the Federal army was re-
the Confederates had not been left without
them At 8 o'clock Longstreet's division
came up, after hurried march from Hagers-
town. During the forenoon the Confederate
general, Hill, had had only five brigades with
which to confront nearly all of McClelian'l
slowly arriving army. When Longstreet's
command arrived in the afternoon there were
fourteen brigades in all, against eighteen
Federal brigades, with all the rest of Nc
Clelan's army in the rear.
The first advance toward Turner's Gap had
been made an Saturday, Sept. l3, by Pleas
onton1s cavalry. This apprised the Confed-
crates that Mcclellan was close after them
Gen. Pleasonton, however, on that day merely
made a forward movement and retired, per-
brigades at the Gap
The Confederate brigades of Drayton, Law,
G.. L. Anderson and Hood, of Longstreet's
division, after their arrival fronted Cox at
Fox's Gap On the north, at Turner's Gap,
opposed to Hooker were the brigades OF
Robes, Colquitt, Garnett and several Others
At Fox's Gap tbs fight ragged all day At
Turner's Gap il ragged only during the latter
part of the afternoon. AT both points tho
Confederates were beaten.
That 14th of September was the day of
mountain gap battles, Down et Champions
Gap there was yet third fight. ThesCon
| federate general, Lafayette McLaws, occu-
pied Maryland Heights, opposite Harpers
Ferry It was the day before the surrender
of the Ferry,
| But Gen. McLaws kept strict watch over
| Crannnton GAP in view of the very con-
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

He displayed good generalshlp Sept. IA,
1862, at South Mountain.
On the map of Maryland will be seen three
short mountain ranges or spurs, running
slightly east of north from the left bank of
the Potomac river. The most southerly is the
Catoctin, the next is the ridge called South
mountains, while west OF that is the crooked,
short Elk mountain range. They belong to
the Blue Ridge system. 1t was all about this
region, marching and counter marching,
dodging through the mountain gaps, that the
Federal and Confederate fought the Maryland
campaign quarter century ago. Pleasant
Valley. often mentioned, is between the Elk
mountain and South mountain range. Boons-
boro is a village near the foot of South noun
tain on its west side Boonsboro is thirteen
miles from Hagerstown, which is on the
northwest.
The battle of South Mountain, Sept IA,
was a series of short yet sufficiently bloody
fights around Turner's Gap, Fox's Gap and
Crampton's Gap. These were passes through
which the roads crossing South Mountain
led. They were several miles apart begin
ming with Turner's Gap on the north. Fox's
GAP was next, south of that, and south of
Fox's Gap was Crampton's Gap, towards
Harpers Ferry.
The famous special order No. 191" told
Mcclellan Lee considered the possession of
Harper's Ferry of SO much Importance that
he had divided his army to get it.
Stcnewall Jackson's comman1 and Walk
ers division had crossed the Potomac, Jack
son above and Walker below HaTper's Ferry.
Thence they were to come together and take
the Ferry At the same time Gen. Lafay-
cite McLaws was to approach the ferry from
the Maryland shore and take possession OF
MARYLAND Heights, opposite the ferry, and
thence aid in reducing the town. Lee him
self, with Longstreet's 1i~ision, D. II. HiA as
rear guard, was to be at Bopnsboro OF
Hagerstown, waiting till Harpers Ferry was
reduced J. E. B. Stuart, the cavalryman,
was to send a detachment Of his men with
Gems I4ongstreet, jackson and McLaws,
each. and then with the main body of his
cavalry cover the route of the army and
'.bring I'D all stragglers.'
After capturing Harper's Ferry Jackson,
NJ laws and Walker were to join the main
body of t.he Confederate army at BoonsbOro
or HageiStown. AT the time of the battle of
South Mountain Longstreet had already gone
on to Hegerstown with his division, leaving
only D. H. Hills rear guard at Boonsboro.
the battle Of Sept. IA. The first attack was
made on Foxs Gap by Gen. j. D. Cox's divis-
ion at 0 a. m.
Jacob D. Cox is native of Montreal, Cam
ada, born in 1928. He is, however, of New
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15
PULASKI. Tenn. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER Is. 1887


toms Gap "at daybreak next morning. He
was twelve miles away If the march had
been made that night the fate of battle might
have been changed. Franklin would have
passed Champions Gap without opposition,
and thus been safe between the two parts of
Lees army on the north and south. As it
was, he reached the Gap about noon of the
14th. The Confederates were fully apprised
OF bis movements by that time, and McLaws
had sent Gen. Cobb with three brigades to
meet him. There was bloody fighting for
three hours. Franklin and his men defeated
Cobb, gained the crest of the Gap and passed
beyond and westward down into Pleasant
valley, between South mountain and Elk
mountain.
Gen. Lafayette McLaws rendered efficient
aid to the Confederates throughout the whole
Maryland campaign, beginning at the siege
himself at Fredericksburg and Afterwards at
Gettysburg. Gen. McLaws was Georgian
and graduate of West Point in 1912. He
served in the Mexican war. His active fight
ing life continued through the whole of the
civil war, and lie surrendered finally with
Lee in 1865
In what may be called the three Gap fights
on South Mountain that Sunday, September
IA, 1862, the Federals were in every case act
ually victorious But the strategic victory
was all on the side of the Confederates.
That day gave time for Lees scattered forces
to begin to get together again. D. H. Hill
says that he was fighting for time" all that
bloody day. He gained it. If McClellan's
army had crossed the passes even one day
earlier Harper's Ferry might have been saved
to the Federals, and Lees army would have
found it impossible to reunite.
South Mountain itself is not q single peak,
but one long, unbroken ridge, continuing
many miles, At its summit near Turner's
Gap is point called the Mountain House.
From this elevated position the Confederate
general Hill gazed on the approach of Nc
the eye could see in the distance, the march
ing men came on, column upon column at
was q grand and glorious spectacle" says
Gen. Hill; "I had never seen SO tremendous
an army before. / did not see one like it af-
terwardsn
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15
SOUTH MOUNTAIN.

Sept. IA occurred the battle which is at the
north called South Mountain, but in the
south known as Boonsboro. When the Con
faderates marched out of Frederick, Gen. D
Fl. Fiji had been left as q rear guard witt
the reserve artillery and supply trains AZ tht
village Of Boonsboro
Gen David Harvey Hill is one of the sol
diers of that stirring time who has lived t
erh+ his battles DER ngain in remembrance
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

attached to McClellans reorganized Army OF
the Potomac he commanded what was called
the Kanawha division in Reno's Ninth corps.
at South Mountain Reno was killed and
the full command of the corps devolved on
Cox. Gen. Cox was made a major general
after the Atlanta campaign. At the battle OF
Franklin, Tenn, be rode forward with a
drawn sword in his hand and rallied his men.
He was governor of Ohio in 1866 and United
States secretary af the interior i'll 1869. He
is at present engaged in legal practice in Ohio
and is president of the board of managers of
the Cincinnati university. He is a man of
commanding presence and distinguished legal
and literary ability. He has written several
books and pamphlets on war history, one vol
ume being devoted to the Atlanta campaign
Maj, Gen, Reno, the Ninth corps COM
mander, came up to the scene of the fighting
late in the afternoon, and had scarcely
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

field That, per GEN JESSE L. RENO
haps, is enough to know. He was born in
Pennsy ylvania in 1925 and appointed to West
Point when only u years old. Both Gen.
Mcclellan and Stonewali jackson were his
classmates at West Point. He served with
distinguished bravery in the Mexican war
and was wounded at Chapultepec. He was
assistant professor of mathematics at West
Point for a time. During his brief career in
the civil war be came into honorable notice
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15
MARYLAND, MY MARYLANDl

The despot's heel is on thy snorn,
Marylandl my Maryland
His touch is on thy temple door,
Maryland, my Maryandl
Avenge the patriotic gore,
That f1ecked the streets of Baltimore,
And be the battle queen of yore,
Maryland. my Maryland!
] hear the distant thunder hum,
Maryland, my Maryland'
The Old Lines bugle, fife and drum,
Maryland, my Maryland!
She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb;
Hurrah she spurns the northern scum;
She breathes, She burns, she'll come, she'll come.
Maryland, my Maryland!
So the devoted southern poet, James r.
Randall, had sung some months before, and
the song was on every Confederate tongue
September 1862
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

when The lighting
began, but when the war note sounded tho
old military instinct stirred within them, tho
old military habit dominated them again,
and they FASTENED to tender their services for
the contest.
Gen. Richardson was in both the Seminole
and Mexican wars, and in all the hardest
fighting of the Army of tho Potomac up TO
his death. He had only been appointed n
major general July 4, 1862 He was actively
engaged at South Mountain three days be-
fore receiving the mortal wound at Antierain
He did not die at once, but fingered in a suf-
fering state ut Frys house, McClellan's head
quarters, whittier he was carried from the
field. He died Nov. g.
Brig. Gen. George B. Andersons death
caused profound regret on tho Confederate
side. He was yet young man. He was on
the Confederate center, and was mortally
wounded shortly after the fatal shot struck
Gen. Richardson on the Union side.
Tho brigade CT Gen. Roger A. Pryor, who
took his division commanders place after the
latter was wounded, participated in tho ter
rible fighting at the sunlen road
The career OF Gen. Roger A. Pryor is n
notable instance Of the changes time has
brought about A native of Dinwiddie
county, Va, he was one ot the most Jealous
of Confederates, He went in person TO South
Carolina to urge ON the secession cause to tho
point OF war. He fought for the Confederacy
both in its armies and in its congress Once
during the war he was captured by the Fed
erals and imprisoned in Fort Lafayette.
And now, twenty-five -ears after he fought
the North in the bloody battle OF Antietam,
he finds himself engaged in peaceful and lu.
crative law practice in New York city :.
When sometimes he sails down tho bay for q
pleasure trip iii summer, or steams out OF
New York harbor in an iron ship for longer
journey across the Atlantic, as he giides past
the Nairows, his eyes rest upon the green
earthworlis Of old Fort Lafayette, where he
was prisoner nearly quarter of a century
ago.
Very different was that utter irreconcilable,
Robert Toonhs, who also bore his share this
bloody day at Sharpsburg His brigade was
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

Tho baseball epidemic has made its
appearance in Panama, and all the slang
Of the game is heard ON every corner,
although the Spanish perversion of the
English words renders the talk unintel-
llgible TO most Americans, which is some
thing of an advantage. Boston Tram
script.
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

s5
and to write MS
memoirs of them.
He was born i'll
South Carolina in
1874, graduated at
West Point i'll 1872,
and served in the
Mexican war. At
ter that he resigned
and became a pro
fessr of nlathe
rlatics. When the
civil war began he
was principal of the
military institute
at Charlotte, n. c.
HD;,,,,,,o1iaAoI-o,1- on
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

Lieut.. Col. Hayes
name afterward be-
came more familiar
to his countrymen.
The place Of Gar
lands Confederate
brigade was taken
half an hour after
wards by that of
Gen. Geo. B. An
derson. It in turn
was repulsed by
Cox, who then fell
back from bis ad-
rapooI norifion m
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

chic" occurred.
We have the au-
thority of the his
torian LOSING that
there really was a
Barbara Frietchie,
and that she died in
1864. She is said
to be buried at
erick. She
lived i'll a quaint old
h house near tic
bridge at Freder-
ick. and was ST
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

reached the battle
aeld when he was
killed. The Con-
federate Gen. Hill
says a shot from
the Twenty third
North Carolina
did it. Of Gen.
Reno little is
known, now twen-
ty-fve years after
his death. He was
a gallant soldier
ard fali IN rt..
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

The Venetian gondoliers have struck,
objecting TO night service lately estab-
lished on the Grand canal. Altogether
the labor market in Venice is in rather q
disturbed condition, for the bakers are
out on strike and the walters threaten to
follow suit.-New York Sun.
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

hold the place
longer than Sept.
u without re-en
forcenlents. Th e
slow marching Of
the Army of the
Potomac prevented
these from reach
ing him. Gen.
. White was one Of
the officers COM
\ mended by the
Washington au-
thorities FOR his
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

G en-, McClellan's
own headquarters
were on the east
side of Antietam
creek, in the rear
of his army. Dur
ing the night of
Sc t 9 m b er 10,
Gen. Mansfield's
corps also crossed
the Antietan and
camped q mile in
Hooker's rear.
There were four
bridges across the
The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-15

in the center.
On the Federal
left Burnside had
been ordered to
cross a bridge over
the Antietam with
his Ninth corps.
There was no delay
in executing the or
der. The bridge was
at length carried by
assault with the loss
of 500 Union sol
diers, 1t has ever
since been called
"Burnside bridge u